No Child Left Behind & Every Student Succeeds Act
Questions to think about and present


What is the issue, law? Jordan

- Sought to advance American competitiveness and close the achievement gap between poor and minority students and their more advantaged peers. Ensuring that states and schools boost the performance of certain groups of students, such as English-language learners, students in special education, and poor and minority children, whose achievement, on average, trails their peers. It was also put in place for teachers at poorer schools around the nation. A lot of the time teachers at poorer schools were less qualified and after the law was implemented it provided those schools with more qualified teachers. Each year at schools there is an AYP "adequate yearly progress" report. If the progress report does not meet the standards in two consecutive years schools are then identified as "in need of improvement".


http://www.edweek.org/ew/section/multimedia/no-child-left-behind-overview-definition-summary.html


http://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/no-child-left-behind/


What implication did it have on public education at that time? Sam

http://connectusfund.org/14-crucial-pros-and-cons-of-the-no-child-left-behind-act

Cons of NCBL
Focuses more on standardized tests
Failure to look at other reasons for lack of achievement
Federal underfunding

Cons of NCLB Testing
Making schooling less engaging and creative
Deprofessionalizing teachers and teaching
Abandoning our past pursuit of learning that fully encompasses arts, music, social studies, and science
Marginalizing values and skills that help students develop the ability to cooperate, solve problems, reason, make sound judgements, and function effectively as democratic citizens


What has changed and what does it look like in schools today? Sarah

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/02/13/no-child-left-behinds-test-based-policies-failed-will-congress-keep-them-anyway/?utm_term=.49c6c410072e

Education Secretary Arne Duncan wrote on the department's website here that "for more than a decade, states and schools throughout this country have worked within the narrow confines of the No Child Left Behind law," and that" it's long past time to move past that law, and replace it with one that expands opportunity, increases flexibility and gives schools and educators more of the resources they need."

Testing Debate
The parent-led backlash
Using testing to drive educational improvement

https://www.ed.gov/essa?src=ft

Current ESSA
Advances equity by upholding critical protections for America's disadvantaged and high-need students
Requires—for the first time—that all students in America be taught to high academic standards that will prepare them to succeed in college and careers.
Ensures that vital information is provided to educators, families, students, and communities through annual statewide assessments that measure students' progress toward those high standards.
Helps to support and grow local innovations—including evidence-based and place-based interventions developed by local leaders and educators
Sustains and expands this administration's historic investments in increasing access to high-quality preschool.
Maintains an expectation that there will be accountability and action to effect positive change in our lowest-performing schools, where groups of students are not making progress, and where graduation rates are low over extended periods of time.